Electric apparatus for keeping food hot or heating same



Oct. 10, 1933. e:i G. F. LocKYER ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR KEEPING FOOD HOT 0R HEATING SAME Filed April 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0d 10, 1933- E. G. F. LocKYER ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR KEEPING FOOD HOT 0R HEATING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Apr-11 14, 1931 Patented Oct. 10, 1933 i PATE-*NT OFFICE "'ff1,s3o,394 Y ELEQTRI'QAPPARATUS Fon KEEPING loon` c noron HEATING SAME Y *t K y' y if "I GodwinLockyenLondon, England Appunti@ April-i4, 1931, sei-iai No. 530,036, and ,l in Greatvritain October 22,1930

`2 Claims. l(Cl. 2119-35) Thisl invention has'-freference toapparatus for keeping' food hotyor .heating-lit, and keepingdt hot, of the kindvinl which the heat` is produced f and `supplied Vby lelectricitygj` `winch wil. heatsfair'and -the heated airipasseslor-circua lates-'through nues -or space on the outsides of the chamber or chambers orrfcabinets: inwhich the foodis held and to be kept hot.

The' primary objects and effects ofthe invention are to provide vimprovements in'connection with apparatus of the kind concerned, by which the apparatus, -or the -hot'chamber vor cabinet may `be brought up to theY temperature `desired to keep the food'at the right degree 'of heat, more quickly, and! by V`wlfiiclfthe" better general heating is brought` about and maintained.

- In 'the apparatus hereinafter'- described and the-'mannerv of operating, the improvemer'its un- A der thislinventioniare comprised;y

520.. j For convenience, 4the'invention will be scribedin'vconnection with'the species of the larger kind of apparatus' of the type' concerned,

wherein the food is adapted to beheld on trays or carriers-` l'withiir th"e= hot chamber, some of .which may-be readily'withdrawable, and 'this chamber has hotai'r fines or spaces outside -it at'thesidesfand back, and fldesired, at the top`v or roof,and cover` doors thereon; awhile the lelecy inclined or curved soNthat'the hot air `rising from the elements strikes them, and is caused to iiow atan increasedrate' from Vthe points where it isheated, 'towardsv and into and through clinedfor curved plates- (preferably thin metal platesliaref perforated'so that some1A of theheat fro'r'nlthe heatinglelementsfcan pass up throughv them `and reachv 'andact'upon the bottom of @In 'some casesv 'the heated air-after passing upfthroug'h theue or air spaces'maybe dis- .cha'rged' in theatmosphere, while in' others it may lie-circulatedy through thev `fines or spaces,

up; through some.' anddownr through others, andv then reheated, and again throughhelfflnes.-

n .rThe'finclined or curved-perforatedfplatesor:

l may be v two in. number, and ifY desired heating chamber or space below the bottom ofr .'the'-fluesor hot airv spaces. Further ytheseiny the Y. hot chamber, and-so heat'it; and this 'air after acting on the bottom will pass up one vory fiuted land inclined or curvedup from a centralV position in thev heatingy chamber; or, twmoi' more sets .ot such 'plates maybe. used andar ranged in the heating chamber above the electric elements; and these may bef disposed and ar- 00,'. ranged below the saidxplates or media in any suitablemanner,A and. in1any desired numben- Asa modification regarding the perfu'atecl` plates or media; where a plurality Of `S,i,l!,!, i1`. used, some of them, may beinclined Oxxurved il. as stated, andfone or some horzntel.. Y The .invention is illustrated in the,V annexed? drawings,` in whichy Figure 1A is a sectionaleieve'.. tion of the heating apparatus, Figurev 12 is a` plan partlyin'section,..Figure 3 is a .crosaisec-f. 7Q.

tion, and Figure 41s a. partial sectionalelevatiOIk of a modication, j Y f The arrangement of` the particular apparatus shown is .one in which movable trays are provided .within the heating` chamber.. yand at. the 751- upper partpans o1'containcre,,,for loose food are Supportaci,l above theupper portions oiwbich are horizontal doors, by opening which `access can `be `had tothe upperfpans or contaatiners.`

Referring generally ,to the drawings, 1 repre?` 80;. sents the inner chamberin which the food to be kept `warm is introduced and ,containediand which in the case shown is provided with slidable trays 2j on ywhich food or food containers can be placed, and in front of which are vertical 85 hinged4 doors 3, for enabling accessto be` had to the interior of the chamber for introducing,- and removing the food or food containers or holders. o i

The apparatus Ashown when required tol be 90' moved from place to place, may be carried on a wheeledtrolley and so rendered locomotiva. Below the bottom i of4 the heating chamber; 1 is a' chamber or "space" 5, on Vthe bottom of` which arevthe electric heating re1em`ents'6.by 95- which'the air in this chamberfis heated;` o

.ff7 are the Walls of: the outer casing ofthe apparatus within which the chamberl isfrdis.- posedjandfS arespaces at each side ofjthe apparatus between thewalls of the inner cham# 100 ber 1 andthe outer casing `walls '7; while'9 is a space between the back plate 10 of the chamber? lyand the "back ?plate '7X= of Vthe outerfcasingi These spaces 8 and 9 are open below, rand lead `into the air heating space 5; and they constiv 105 l-constitute an upper closure covering the top of the chamber 1; and directly under these doors is a plate l-which may be removable-having apertures in it through which are passed containers 15 for food, which are supported from the plate 14 by flanged rims 16 as shown. These containers may have lids on them so that they are individually covered as well as the whole of the upper part of the chamber being covered and closed by the doors 12.

When the upper doors 12 are opened, that is moved 180 about their hinges 13, they will rest on the cross bar, 16 which is supported on brackets 17, which constitute a means or handles for propelling the apparatus.

The spaces or conduits 8 are closed at the top as is also the space or conduit 9; and at the upper part of the side conduits 8 are holes 18, above which are holes in the under or inner plate of the hollow doors 12, these holes as illustrated coinciding. Thus hot air Ahas access` to the doors. Also rafew holes 19 areprovided inthe upper platev of the adjacent ends of the doors for the purpose of providing for movement or expansion and contraction of air.

In the case shown in the drawings, the back conduit 9 is adapted to serve as a return flue for the hot air, that is the air passing up from the chamber 5 `passes through the side conduits or spaces 8, and thence through openings 20 .in the plate 10 into the top of the back conduit or flue 9, which extends `down from this point to below the bottom plate 4, and to near the bottom of the chamber v5, so that its return into the chamber 5 is ensured against being interfered with by the hotter air which passesv into the bottom of the ues 8.

Between the heaters 6 and the bottom plate 4 of the chamber 1 are the inclined metal plates 22, which are provided with perforations, and these it is found have the effect of causing the heating up of the apparatus when starting it, to be effected in a relatively short time; and this short period of heating up is in many cases very important. In the apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 3, these perforated plates are inclined upwards from the lcentre to the bottom angles of the chamber 1, towhich they may be secured; whilst in the modification shown in Figure 4 the plates 22 are inclined as shown, and are carried by supporting bars 23, in which case the electric heating unit 6 is about level with the lower edges of the plates.

In the case of the plates 22 being perforated, as in the case shown, the perforations enable some of the air to pass through the perforations and act directly on the bottom of the hot chamber 1, and so heat it, whence it passes into the hot air spaces or Jackets.

The plates 22 may be iiat and inclined as shown in the drawings, or they may be curved in an upward direction; and in some cases may be fluted or corrugated, and inclined, and may be v disposed and arranged below the heating cham-v ber 1 proper in any suitable manner, and inany desired number; and in the case of a plurality of plates 4being used, some of them may be inclined or curvedv as stated, and one or some horizontal.

The bottom chamber 5 is lagged .internally with a substantial thickness of asbestos or other suitable poor conductor of heat 24 at the sides, front, back and bottom to prevent the loss of` I heat; andthe inside of the wall 'l and 7X are also lined with asbestos or like legging 25 to prevent loss of heat.

With regard to the elements 6, these are of any known suitable kind, and are attached to and rest on thick copper or other metal plate 26', which is secured down to the bottom plate 27 of the outer casing of the apparatus; and in the caseshown, there are a plurality Yof these elements 6 arranged side by side as seen in Figure 2; Abut they may be distributed in the bottom of the apparatus in any suitable way; and current will be carried toV and from them through conductors passed through the walls of the outer casing from outside in any suitable way.

In thecase illustrated, the apparatus is constructed and adapted so that a complete circulation of Aair up and down will take place through the apparatus; namely,. in this case hot air heated by the elements in the chamber 5 pass up through the lower open ends into the side conduits 8, and then up same to the top, where it passes throughthe openings 20 in the `plate l0 into the back flue 9, down which it flows to near the bottom of the lower chamber 5, and thence down under the lowerlip of the plate 10, and back into the chamber 5, wherein it is again heated, and recirculated.

Some of this` air passing up the side spaces or conduits 8 can pass into the hollow doors l2.

According to a modification, the air has not complete circulation as above described, and upon that inthe air heating chamber 5 being heated, .it can pass up and ll the side nues 8, and a back flue` 9, which are common inthis case and all closed at the upper end, except for the openings 18 leading to the .interior of the hollow doors 12; and in this case the openings 20 inthe back plate l0 above described are not provided,

and the two setsrof conduits or spaces 8 and 9 may be common to one another, 4while the plate 10 will end at a level of the bottom plate 4;v and constitutes merely the back plate of the heating chamber 1.

The air heating chamber 5 infront is entirely closed by a plateas seen in Figure 3, as isalso the space above the doors 3; and a removable door 28 shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, may be provided in the front plate of the chamber 5, so that free access to the electric unit 6 may be had. e l i 1. Apparatus for keeping food hot or heating food, comprising a food holding `chamber open at the top, an outer casing enclosing thesides and back of the food holding chamber and spaced therefrom, the spaces between said chamber and casing forming separate ues at the sides and back, said ue spaces being directly in connection with eachother by apertures at the top but out of connection with the interior ofthe cooking chamber, hollow hinged horizontal doors over the open top of the food-holding chamber and communicating by apertures with the tops of the side ues, a closed air heating chamber below the bottom of the food holding chamber communieating directly with the side and back flues below, and electric heating elements therein.

2. Apparatus for keeping food hot or heating food, `comprising a food holding chamber open at the top, an outer casing enclosing the sides and back of the `food-,holding chamber and spaced therefrom, the spaces between said chamber and casing forming separate nues at the sides and back, said flue spaces being directly in connection with each other by apertures at the 'of the side ues, a. closed air-heating chamber below the bottom of the food-holding chamber communicating directly with theside and back Iues below, and electric heating elements therein, a perforated removableplate supported just below land parallel to the top of said oven,` and `food-containing pans suspended by their upper edges by the surrounding metal of the perforations.

`EMILY GODWIN FRY fno 

